Habitat

The physical space where an organism, population or species lives. Habitats are usually categorized by particular physical or biological characteristics (e.g., coral reefs, mangrove forests).

Glossary of Terms

Suspended Load

The material moving in suspension in a fluid, kept up by the upward components of the turbulent currents or by colloidal suspension.

Backshore

The generally dry portion of the beach between the berm crest and the vegetation line that is submerged only during very high sea levels and eroded only during moderate to strong wave events.

Coastal Area

The land and sea area bordering the shoreline. An entity of land and water affected by the biological and physical processes of both the sea and land and defined broadly for the purpose of managing the use of natural resources.

Beach Nourishment

The technique of placing sand fill along the shoreline to widen the beach.

Reflected Wave

That part of an incident wave that is returned seaward when a wave impinges on a steep beach, barrier, or other reflecting surface.

Mean Low Water (MLW)

The average height of the low water over a 19-year period. For shorter periods of observations, corrections are applied to eliminate known variations and reduce the results to the equivalent of a mean 19-year value. All low water heights are included in the average where the type of tide is either semi-diurnal or mixed.

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Habitat